Save Our Soccer

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Exeter Soccer Club (www.exetersc.org.au) is a small community soccer club based in the village of Exeter in the Southern Highlands NSW. It is the smallest member of the Highlands Soccer Association, with approximately 100 registered junior and senior players. It is the only junior team sporting club based in the village.

The club's mission is to grow soccer in the local area and to provide the opportunity for as many children and adults to participate in team sport as possible.

Our community's challengeWhilst the club has strong senior membership, junior membership had reached a critical point in recent years. In 2012 the club could only field one junior side. In order to reverse this trend and build junior membership, the club offered heavily subsidised membership for junior players, offsetting competition player fees. This strategy has helped deliver four junior sides for the 2014 competition.

The club currently relies heavily on sponsorship in order to support its teams. In 2014, the club committee accepted $7,500 sponsorship from the Hume Coal project in order to stay viable. The coal project area covers much of the Exeter and Sutton Forest local area. Following concerns expressed about the sponsorship from club members and others in our local community, the club has returned the sponsorship funding to Hume Coal.

The club now has a new funding approach for 2015 and beyond to fund the club through alternative long-term sponsorships, fundraising events, junior recruitment and revised player fees. Some new major sponsors are already on-board. Club running costs are minimal, with the vast majority of club funds going toward unavoidable costs such as competition fees.

For 2014 however, we now need to raise funds to meet the budget shortfall and ensure the continued viability of the club into next season. All funds raised will go toward essential expenses such as soccer association fees and equipment. If we are lucky enough to beat our target, any funds raised above the target prior to the closing of the campaign will be applied to the 2015 club budget to ensure secure funding going forward.

As a contributor, you will particularly help to maintain our junior teams so that local children continue have the opportunity to play organised team sport in the village. Local kids will be supported by their community rather than relying on Hume Coal.

If you are unable to donate via credit card, you can also donate at our collection point at Exeter General Store.